mcknight



COATING OR PLASTIC.

if M,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

* JOHN IV. MCKNIGHT, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL MARBLE, STONE, AND TILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 262,603, dated August 15, 1882,

' Application filed December 23,1881. (No specimens.) f" 4 I To all whom it may concern: of soda or ,otash three pounds; Iithar one Be it known that I, JOHN WESLEY MO- mmmwenty pouuts' ex rac of 55 KNIGHT, of \Vashington, in the District of CohemlocTr'FrTEh'EI astrin ent barkchloride of f lumbia, have invented certain new and useful lime onepound. IIIGSOILIIIIBIIIgIGtIlGllISZLBOV'O I 5 Improvements in the Manufacture ot'Artificial 'r'fieTfloned are dissolved in their proper solv- Marble, Stone, and Tile; and I do hereby decuts and mixed, after which the insoluble inclare that the following is a full, clear, and gredients in the state of impalpable powder 66 exact description thereof. are added and the whole thoroughly commin- This invention relates to certain improvegled, formingacompoundwhich is mixed with ments in the manufacture of artificial marble, one hundrlefiallons of water more or less, stone, and tiles; and it has for its objects to and is ready for use in mnuer and for provide a compound which may be employed the purposes as will hereinafter appear. 6 in connection with Keens or other hydraulic For the formation of slabs or tiles of the arceu entto form a mastic, which, when set and tificial stone I take one part of Portland or hardened, will form a material which will posother cement mor e or less, and twe ye pal; s sess all the qualities of natural stone, and of pure siliclons sand' a'n'd' addt he aboye; which may be employed for paving, architectmentionemifipmthe:sgnelo spch an ural, or cemetery purposes, or which may be exte'iifias to forin asemhplastic mass and mix used as a grinding or abrasive or polishing until'eac'h particlot'sand is tli'orou'gh lycoated 2o material in the same manner as the natural with the plastic or semi-plastic material. I

stones employed for the purpose, as more fully then place the mass in a suitable mold and alhereinafter specified. low it to set and harden, after which it may be It is a well-known fact that almost every polished on its face in the usual manner. substance, simple or compound, capable of For the purpose of forming designs upon the 2 existing in the solid state assumes, under faface of the blocks I employ stencil-molds havvorable circumstances, a distinct geometrical ing suitable designs cut in them. These I apform or figure, usually bounded by plane surply to the face of a sheet of glass or other faces and having angles of fixed and constant smooth surface which is to form the bottom value. The faculty of crystallization seems to of the mold in which the slab is to be cast. I

0 be denied only to a. few bodies, chiefly comthen fill in the spaces with the compound and plex organic principles, which, when in the cement suitably colored, and when set, but solid state, are frequently characterized by a before fully hardened,remove the stencil-mold, 8 kind of beady or globular appearance, indicatplace the sides of the mold upon the glass, and ing that they are on the very verge of crysfill in with the material to form the body of 35 tallization. the block or slab, tamping, as usual, to solid- In my experiments in the manufacture of ify the mass, the material of the body uniting artificial stone I have dicovered that by emwith the molded design and forming a solid ploying dilfereut crystallizable substances homogeneous block. This will produce letters properly mixed in solution a compound may be ordesigns flush with the face of the block; but

40 formed the crystals of which, during the proit the plates are left in the mold and the body cess of crystallization, will interlock and bind of the block cast in the mold and allowed to the resultant mass and form a material, essetbefore removing the plate the designs or 5 pecially when combined with a suitable hyletters will be formed in relief. glraiilic cement, that can with difficulty be dis- It is evident that designs or letters may be 4 5 integrated. formed in relief on walls or other architectural In carrying out my invention I employ the surfaces by building up the same in the stenfollowing ingredients, in about the proportions oil-mold on the structure and allowing it to set named, viz: salt of sorrel or binoxalate of or harden.

)otassaone pount sa e. err isso vet in wa- To imitate different kinds of marble or con- 50 ter, fen poundsiodine dissolved in alcohoI one glomerate, I mix the above-mentioned solution ounce' black-lent wo pouuc s; co r. s two with cement and suitable colors and, allow it pounds; zinc salfs two poundsTz'Ifim )Olito harden. I then grate the same into a powr05 ash, two and't'ITr'ee-Tourths pounds, carlionaieptder, more or less fine according to the surface to be imitated, and sprinkle the diflerentlycolored powders in proper proportions through a sieve upon a surface of glass or other smooth material, and then form the compound block thereon, as before mentioned, the bottom of the block when removed retaining. the powdered material, and when suitably polished forming the top of the finished block.

In the manufacture of 'grindstoues or polishing-wheels I mix oxide of iron or other suitable material with the compound and cement, and thus secure a stone equal to the natural for grinding, sharpening, or polishing razors or other edged tools.

The chloride of lime forming a component part of the solution renders the same peculiarly applicable to the purpose of securing different blocks together. The said blocks are naturally absorbent to a certain extent, creatin g a certain suction when the compound is applied as a mortar or cement, filling the pores of the block, uniting them firmly, and rendering the joints practically impervious to salt or fresh water and impenetrable under ordinary atmospheric influences.

Articles may be constructed of thecompound in hollow sections, which, being extremely light, can be transported at much less cost than when solid, and at the same time possess the same or greater strength than if made solid; and the sections may be united, as desired, by my solution, so as to form a solid homogeneous block or compact mass.

The solution or compound, either alone or mixed to a proper consistency with cement, may be applied to the surfaces of absorbent building materials, either wood or stone, and by filling the pores will render such material impervious to moisture, while at the same time it will impart a glazed and highly-finished surface to the material, and will render the material substantially fire-proof. Hence any or dinary building can be decorated to imitate marble, granite, sand, Brunswick, or other stone at a comparatively small cost. When thus coated the use of paint may be dispensed with, as the absorbent qualities of the material, by capillaryattraction or suction, take up the compound, and by it become protected from the ordinary atmosphericinfiuences, and when thus coated the outer portions of a buildin g are well prepared to withstand the disintegrating tooth of time.

The solution or compound is especially usefnl in the west and northwest sections of this country for repairing dilapidated buildings which have had the mortar driven out from between the joints of the bricks or stones by northeast storms, the building which would otherwise be comparatively useless being easily rendered habitable, impervious to moisture, and cool in the summer and warm in winter.

Adobe buildings can be coated and decorated by my process so that they may be rendered as durable as the natural stone.

My improved compound with the cement forms an admirable material for safes, prison cells, sewer-pipes, fiumes, raceways, monuments, paving-blocks, curbstones, street-crossings, cisterns,well-curbs, architectural and all other purposes to which the natural stone is adapted.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The herein-described solution or compound, consisting of salt of sorrel, saltpeter iodine, black-lead, copperas, zinc salts, caustic potash, carbonate of soda, litha'rge, steatite, extract of hemlock, and chloride of lime, to be employed with hydraulic cement or other desirable or suitable material for the manufacture of artificial stone or marble, as set forth.

2. The method herein described of forming designs in relief upon artificial stone or marble slabs, blocks, or. walls by building up or molding the design of the com pound described, colored or not, and suitably thickened with cement or other material.

3. The method herein described of forming designs or letters in relief onartificial stone or marble slabs or blocks, the same consisting in placing in the mold a stencil-mold having the designs or letters cut therein, filling said designs or letters with the compound suitably colored, then backing or filling up the mold with the artificial stone or marble compound, allowing it to set, and then taking the same from the mold and removing the stencil-mold, as set forth.

4. The method herein described of forming surface designs upon blocks or slabs of artificial marble or stone and upon artificial stone walls or other surfaces by building up such designs upon such surfaces in plain or artistic colors and plastering the remaining portions flush with the designs, substantially as specified.

5. The method herein described of forming variegated surfaces upon blocks or slabs of artificial marble or stone by grating the heroinbefore-mentioned compound, suitably colored and hardened, and sifting the same upon a surface of glass or other smooth material, and forming the body upon the sifted material, substantially as specified.

6. As a means of ornamentin g and protecting walls and surfaces of buildings or building material, the compound herein described, mixed or not with hydraulic cement, and applied substantially in the manner described.

7. The improved artificial grinding or pol ishing material herein described, consisting of the compound named and abrasive or polishin g substances mixed, and molded as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of.two witnesses, this 23d day of December, 1881.

J. W. MoKNIGElT. Witnesses:

G. A. NEALE, CHAS. L. GooMBs.

IUD 

